The White Dove
by Shelly Red
Summary: Visiting those special to our hearts on Memorial Day.


Disclaimer: Hasbro, Marvel, Devil's Due, and Sunbow own the characters. I own the children's names.

Notes: I plan to continue this but decided to post this part now. There was a challenge to write a fic in memory of the death, according to the comic, of Lady Jaye and/or a Memorial Day fic. I merged both challenges together and am taking it a step further. Thanks to everyone who reviewed it earlier. Thanks Hannah for your suggestions and changes.

Date: Memorial Day, 2008  
Place: Arlington National Cemetery, VA

Chapter One: The First Stop 

He stood in the middle of a path. As he looked around, all he saw were the gleaming white headstones of Arlington. It had been a few years since he had been here. Last year, Jessica was born over the Memorial Day weekend, making him a father of two wonderful children. His eyes scanned across the cemetery. He had so many loved ones buried here. So many men and women, whom he had fought with over the years, lay beneath the ground. It made his heart heavy.

He straightened his uniform. He was dressed in his Class A's. He always dressed proudly in his uniform when he came here. It showed the respect he had for all of the men and women, who proudly served and gave their lives for this country.

A tiny hand grabbed at his hand. He looked down at his son's upturned face and smiled. "Are you ready, Jack? Do you remember whom we are going to visit?" he asked the little boy. He and his wife had told the four-year-old about the exceptional people they were coming to see today. The list was lengthy but included a fallen teammate from GI Joe, his wife's grandfather, and his father.

Jackson nodded his little brown head and looked back as his mom and baby sister walked closer to them. "We are gonna see Ann Allie, Ganpa Garry, and Ganpa Jack. He was named after me," the little boy said proudly, his little hands waving a handful of tiny American flags to be placed at each headstone they visited.

A smile graced the soldier's lips as he nodded his head. "What a smart boy you are," he commented, watching his beautiful wife approach them. She was just as beautiful now as she was six years ago when they had married. His smile widened. She had always been beautiful to him and fate had worked its magic and made them one.

As she held Jessica on her hip and walked, her footsteps were confident and precise. She didn't wear her uniform as her husband had, since she was no longer military, retiring a few years after Jackson's birth. She kept busy with the kids and busy with her work. The wind whipped through her long hair and rustled the long skirt she wore. She smoothed out Jessica's flower-printed dress and walked up to her husband and son. She watched the wind blow the hair of the two most important men in her life. She smiled that winning smiling, the one that made most men swoon and vie for her attention. But, there had always been only one man that captivated her heart, only one man whom she completely loved. No man held a candle to her Desert.

He watched her smile grow and read the love in her eyes. "How are my girls?"

"Wonderful, Ron. How are my boys?"

"Magnificent, Courtney," he beamed.

Ron took her free hand in his while his other hand held Jackson's tiny hand. Courtney held Jessica, and they made their way towards the graves of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Their first stop was a headstone that read:

_Alison Renee Faireborn  
__March 31, 1972 – May 23, 2005_

Courtney's eyes glazed over with tears as she looked at the headstone. She couldn't believe that three years had passed since her friend's death.

Jessica's tiny hand touched her mother's face as the one-year-old sensed her mother's sorrow. "Mama," a tiny voice whispered.

Ron looked at the tender moment being shared between mother and daughter. "Go on Jack. Place a flag beside the others for Aunt Allie." He released his son's hand and firmly squeezed his wife's.

Courtney returned the firm grip on her hand and watched her little boy place the flag beside the others. Many had paid their respects to their fallen comrade. No one forgot how much Lady Jaye had sacrificed for the team.

Jackson knelt beside the gravestone and pushed the flag into the ground. "Hi Ann Allie. I miss you," he said quickly before running back to his parents and burying his face in his mother's skirt.

Courtney released her husband's hand and lightly tousled Jackson's sandy hair as the tears slipped down her cheeks. Jessica continued to pat at her mom's moist cheeks as Ron picked up Jackson.

"Good job, Son. Aunt Allie would be proud of you. She's smiling down on us right now, you know," Ron explained to the tear-stained face of his son.

As if to punctuate his sediments, a white dove swooped down from the sky and landed on Alison's headstone. It cooed softly, looking at the four humans, and then flew off.

"Wow," Jackson's now ecstatic face said. "That was cool."

Ron and Courtney both smiled. Courtney dried her tears, thanking her daughter for her help. "Shall we continue on our journey?" she asked.

Jackson nodded. "Maybe that bird will come visit us at Ganpa Garry and Ganpa Jack's home," he said wistfully.

"Maybe," Courtney answered as they began to walk towards the next site. She slowed and looked back at Alison's headstone. The beautiful dove had returned and was perched on the headstone, watching them leave. "I miss you, Allie," she whispered before catching up to her husband and son.


End file.
